Control device for internalcombustion engines



April 1948- M. MENNESSON 2,440,483

CONTROL DEVICE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed March 2, 1945 IN VEN TOR MARCEL ME N/VESSOIV i/im A RNEY Patented Apr. 27, 1948 CONTROLDEVICE FOR INTERNAL- COMBUSTION ENGINES Marcel Mennesson,Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, as-

signor to Societe DAppareils de Contriile et Equipement des .Moteurs (S.A. C. E. M.), Neuilly-sur-Seine (Seine), France, a society of the FrenchRepublic Application March 2, 1945, Serial N... 580,587 In France August1, 1942 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires August1, 1962 13Claims. 1

The present invention relates to control devices for internal combustionengines provided with means for temporary placing the combustion chamberin constant communication with the atmosphere, and said invention ismore especially, although not exclusively, concerned with such devicesas applied to driving engines for light vehicles, such as bicycles,motor-cycles and the like.

The object of the present invention is to provide*a device of the kindin question such that the operations necessary for bringing the engineout of action, either temporarily or permanently are simplified and madeeasier, and that the working of the engines, under these conditions, ismore economical and more rational.

According to a first feature of the present invention, 1; provide meansfor conjugating the fuel intake device control, in an engine of the kindabove referred to, with the means for temporarily placing the combustionchamber in constant communication with the atmosphere, said conjugatingmeans being so devised that when the fuel in take control is moved inthe direction for which the intake is reduced, the closing, either totalor nearly so, of this intake is followed by the placing 1 jugated asabove stated are arranged in such manner that they can be actuatedthrough a. single operating member, said operating member being locatedclose to the hand of the driver, for instance near one of the handles ofthe handle bar of the vehicle, when the latter is a bicycle or isprovided with steering means analogous to those of a bicycle. 7

According to still another feature of the present invention, the singlecontrol member above referred to is provided with an abutment or stopwith which it cooperates, the position of said stop being easilyadjustable by the driver, in such manner as to limitat will thedisplacement of said control member in the direction corresponding tothe opening of the fuel intake, and this without interfering with theinstantaneous closing of the fuel intake, this adjustable stop beingeventually adapted to keep the fuel intake control in a position suchthat the combustion cham-- ber of the engine is in communication withthe atmosphere.

According to still another feature of the pres- 55 of the engine.Consequently, the driver generally 2 ent'invention, the conjugatedcontrol means of the fuel intake and of the means for placing thecombustion chamber in communication with the atmosphere are acted uponby a return spring which constantly urges these control means toward theposition of total opening of the fuel intake, said spring beingpreferably arranged in such manner as to take up all the mechanicalplays as may take place in said control means.

Other features of the present invention will result from the followingdetailed description of some specific embodiments thereof.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be hereinafterdescribed, with reference to the accompanying drawings, given merely byway of example, and in which:

Fig. Us a diagrammatic elevational view, with parts in section, of aportion of an internal combustion engine provided with means fortemporarily placingthe combustion chamber in constant communication withthe atmosphere, this engine being provided with a control device madeaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one half of a bicycle handle-bar on which aremounted on the one hand the operating means of the control deviceaccording to the invention, and, on the other hand, the brake lever;Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale illustratinghow the operating means of the control device are mounted on thehandlebar, according to the invention.

In the following description, it will be supposed that the invention isapplied to the case of a low powered internal combustion engine intendedto be mounted, as auxiliary driving motor, on a light vehicle such as abicycle or the like.

Concerning the engine proper, it is constituted in any suitable manner,and for instancev like those generally employed for this particular use.

For instance, this engine is of the conventional two-stroke type. As forthe means for temporarily placing the combustion engine in communicationwith the atmosphere, said means may be constituted, in the usual mannerby a stopping means (valve) adapted to be opened, through control meansoperative from a distance, in such manner as to afford a communicationbetween the combustion chamber and the outside or the exhaust pipe.

The vehicles above considered are generally driven at rather low speedsdue to the low power the atmosphere.

slows down his vehicle so as to stop it over a certain distance mostlyby. acting only through the means for placing the combustion chamber incommunication with the atmosphere, and without operating the throttlevalve. This practice involves a waste of fuel which is perfectly uselesssince the intake remains fully open. Furthermore, noisy explosions oftenoccur under these conditions.

If the driver is cautious enough to close the gas throttle beforeoperating the means for placing the combustion chamber in communicationwith the atmosphere, he is compelled to act on two levers (one for thegas the other for said means), which makes it necessary to have twoconnections with the engine, and this operation generally fully occupiesthe hand; whichhowever is often necessary for operating the brake.

, and, only thereafter, the operation of the means for placing thecombustion chamber in communication with the atmosphere, said lastmentioned means being brought out of action before the opening of thegas intake when said single operating member is moved in the oppositedirection.

and at the same time takes up all the play as may occurin the variousjoints.

The working of thecontrol device made as above described takes place asfollows:

Lever l6, which controls throttle valve 5 is constantly urged by springtoward a position in which this valve is in its position of maximumopening, which position is adjustable through the stop. l9'of lever l8.When the driver wishes to slow down the engine, he moves lever l6 towardthe right of Fig. 1, which has for its effect to close the gas intakethrough rotation of the throttle valve. When this valve is closed, ornearly 0,. the .end In of lever'8 comes into contact with the stem ll ofvalve I2, and a supplementary efg-iort flhlever l6, so as to compressthe spring l3 of this valve, causes the latter to open and thuspermanently to connect the inside of the cylinder with the exhaustconduit 4.

It is advantageous to provide for a certain angular displacement ofcontrol lever 6 during which throttle valve 5 remains closed, theopening of valve l2 being obtained during this displacement.

Therefore, the placing of the combustion chamber in communication-withthe outside can take place only when the gas intake is closed, eitherwholly or nearly so. Thus I avoid noisy explosions due to .thecombustion of the gas and, chiefly, the useless consumption of fuelduring periods when no work is required from the engine.

The two-stroke engine shown by way of example by Fig. lincludes acylinder l, adapted to work with a pre-compression in the crankcase, apiston this throttle valve is connected through a transmission, eitherrigid or flexible, movable either by translation or by rotation (and forinstance actuated through a rod 1) to a lever 8 pivoting about an axis9. This lever 8 is so arranged that its end II! can act on the stem llof a valve l2 or the like which constitutes the means for placing thecombustion chamber in communication with This valve I2 is normallyapplied against its seat by a spring i3, and when it is opened, itconnects the combustion chamber of the engine, through conduit l4,either with the exhaust conduit, as shown by the drawing, or with theoutside. Lever 6 is also connected, through a rod [5, with a lever I6,arranged to turnfreely about an axis l1 and placed close to the drivershand.

A second lever I8 is also mounted on the same axis II, but with asubstantial friction, so that its displacement can be obtained only whenthe driver exerts a certain effort. On this second lever is provided anabutment or stop l9 located across the path of travel of lever 16. Thisstop l9 thus limits, in an' adjustable manner, the rotation of lever I6in the direction corresponding to the opening of the throttle valve 5,that is to As soon as the driver wishes to increase the speed of theengine, he ceases to act on lever l6 which, under the efiect cf theaction of spring 20,

position.

The adjustable stop [9 makes it possible to operate the engine atintermediate speeds by limiting the maximum opening of valve 5, whichcontrols the gas intake, and this without in any way interfering withthe movement of this throttle valve in the closing direction.Furthermore, this stop l9 makes it possible, if so desired, to stoplever IS in a position for which valve [2 or the like remains open. Thisfacilitates the movements of the vehicle when the engine is not inaction and prevents said engine from opposing any substantial resistanceto such movements.

It should be noted that the spring l3 of valve l2 or the like compelsthe driver to exert a supplementary efiort on lever l6, which has theadvantage of warning him when the inside of the cylinder is being placedinto communication with the outside. 4

Fig. 2 shows, in a diagrammatic manner, one half of the handle bar of abicycle or similar vehicle provided with an auxiliary driving motor, orof a light motor-cycle, etc., which has been fitted with the levers l6and I8 to be operated by the driver for controlling the gas intake andthe placing of the inside of the cylinder in communication with theoutside, and also for limiting the maximum opening of the throttle valve5. In the example shown, the axis I1 about which levers f6 and I8 arepivoted is substantially perpendicular to the plane formed by the handlebar and also substantially perpendicular to the axis of the brakeoperating lever 2|.

These levers are located close to the handle 22 of the handle-bar,whereby levers I6 and I8, and especially lever It, can be easilycontrolled by the thumb of the drivers hand that rests on said handle.The driver can thus act, simultaneously, with the thumb of this hand, onthe lever l8 which controls both the gas intake and the placing of theinside of the cylinder in communication with the outside, and, with thefour other fingers of the same hand, on the lever 2| of the brake,whereby he can, if necessary, act with a single hand both on the brakeand on the means for bringing the inside of the cylinder incommunication with the atmosphere, in order to stop the vehicle. Leverl8, through which the degree of maximum opening of the throttle valvecan be adjusted, can also be controlled by the thumb of the driver.

In Fig. 3, I have shown, by way of example, in what manner the twolevers l6 and I8 can be mounted on spindle H, which can be eitherriveted or welded, or again fixed in any other suitable way to handlebar 23. For this purpose, I slip, in the following order, on saidspindle I'I, two elastic washers 24. lever l8, a ring 25 provided with ashoulder and on which lever I6 is pivoted, a tightening washer 26adapted to limit the lateral play of said lever i6, and a fixation nut21. According to the position of nut 21, I hold, lever l8 more or lesstightlybetween ring 25 and washers 24 so as thus to adjust theresistance ofiered by said lever l8 to a pivoting displacement thereof.On the contrary, lever l6 pivots freely between the shoulder of ring 25vand washer 2 6.

Oi course, the arrangement'illustrated by the appended drawings is notthe only possible one within the scope of the invention.

In a general manner, while I have, in the above description, disclosedwhat I deem to be practical and efficient embodiments of the presentinventlon, it should b well understood that I do not wish to be limitedthereto as there might be changes made in the arrangement, dispositionand form of the parts without departing from the principle of thepresent invention as comprehended within the scope of the appendedclaims.

What I claim is:

1. A control device for an internal combustion engine comprising atleast a cylinder with at least a combustion chamber formed therein, agas intake for said cylinder, pressure relief means for placing saidcombustion chamber in communication with the atmosphere, said controldevice comprising, in combination, throttle means for controlling saidgas intake, and interconnecting means between said pressure relief meansand said throttle means, adapted to permit the opening of said pressurerelief means to the atmosphere only after the closing of said throttlemeans, and inversely the opening of said throttle means only after saidpressure relief means have been closed.

2. A control device for an internal combustion engine comprising atleast a cylinder with at least a, combustion chamber formed therein, agas intake for said cylinder, pressure relief means for placing saidcombustion chamber in communication with the atmosphere, said' controldevice comprising, in combination, throttle means for controlling saidgas intake, and interconnecting means between said pressure relief meansand said throttle means, adapted to permit the opening of said pressurerelief means to the atmos-- phere only after the closing of saidthrottle means, and inversely the opening of said throttle means onlyafter said pressure relief means have been closed, and a single pontrolmember for operating both of said pressure relief means and saidthrottle means.

3. A control device for an internal combustion means for controllingsaid gas intake, interconnecting means between said pressure reliefvalve and said throttle means adapted to permit the opening of saidpressure relief valve only after the closing of said throttle means, andinversely the opening of. said throttle means only after the closing ofsaid pressure relief valve, and a single control member for operatingboth of said pressure relief valve and said throttle means.

4. A control device for an internal combustion engine com rising atleast a cylinder with at least a combustion chamber formed therein, agas intake for said cylinder, pressure relief means for placing saidcombustion chamber in communication with the atmosphere, said controldevice comprising, in combination, throttle means for controlling saidgas intake, and interconnecting means between said pressure relief meansand said throttle means, adapted to permit the opening of said pressurerelief means to the atmosphere only after the closing of said, throttlemeans, and inversely the opening of said throttle means only after saidpressure relief means have been closed, a single control member foroperating both of said pressure relief means and said throttle means,and elastic means for urging said throttle means in the directioncorresponding to its opening.

5. A control device for an internal combustion engine comprising, atleast a cylinder with at least a combustion chamber formed therein, agas intake forsaid cylinder, a pressure relief valve for placing saidcombustion chamber in communication with the atmosphere, said controldevice comprising, in combination, throttle means for controlling saidgas intake, interconnecting means between said pressure relief valve andsaid throttle means adapted to permit the opening of said pressurerelief valve only after the closing of said throttle means, andinversely the opening of said throttle means only after the closing ofsaidpressure relief valve, and a single control member for operatingboth of said pressure relief valve and said throttle means, an elasticmeans for urging said throttle means in the direction corresponding toits opening.

6. A control device for an internal combustion engine comprising atleast a cylinder with at least a combustion chamber formed therein, agas intake for said cylinder, pressure relief means for placing saidcombustion chamber in communication with the atmosphere, said controldevice comprising, in combination, throttle means for controlling saidgas intake, and interconnecting means between said pressure relief meansand said throttle means, adapted to permit the opening of said pressurerelief means to the atmosphere only after the closing of said throttlemeans, and inversely the opening of said throttle means only after saidpressure relief means have been closed. and a single control member foroperating both of said pressure relief means and said throttle means,elastic means for urging said throttle means in the directioncorresponding to its opening, and an adjustable stop for limiting theopening displacement of said throttle means.

'7. A control device according to claim 3 which comprises control meansfor said pressure relief valve and acting on said valve with a certainplay.

gas intake for said cylinder, a pressure relief valve for placing saidcombustion chamber in communication with the atmosphere, said controldevice comprising, in combination, a lever for opening said valve,throttle means for controlling said gas intake, interconnecting meansbetween said lever and said throttle means adapted to permit the openingof said pressure relief valve by said lever only after the closing ofsaid throttle means, and, inversely, the opening of said throttle meansonly after the closing of said pressure relief valve, and a singlecontrol member for operating both of said throttle means and said lever.

9. A control device according to claim 8 in which said lever isconnected directly to said throttle means.

10. A control device according to claim 8 and comprising spring meansfor resiliently opposing the opening action of said lever on saidpressure relief valve.

11. A control device according to claim 8 and comprising spring meansfor urging said pressure relief valve toward the closed positionthereof, so as to oppose a supplementary resistance to the movement ofsaid control member in the direction corresponding to the opening ofsaid pressure relief valve.

12. A control device according to claim 8 and comprising spring meansfor resiliently opposing the opening action of said lever on saidpressure relief valve and other spring means urging said pressure reliefvalve toward the closed position thereof, so as to oppose asupplementary resistance to the displacement of said lever in thedirection corresponding to the opening. of said pres- 40 sure reliefvalve.

13. In combination, an internal combustion engine, comprising a cylinderwith a combustion chamber formed therein, a gas intake for saidcylinder, a pressure relief valve for said cylinder, for placing saidchamber in communication with the atmosphere, a control devicecomprising, in combination, throttle means for controlling said gasintake, interconnecting means between said pressure relief valve andsaid throttle means adapted to permit the opening of said pressurerelief valve only after the closing of said throttle means, and,inversely, the opening of said throttle means only after the closing ofsaid pressure relief valve, a single control lever, pivoted to a fixedpart, for operating both said pressure relief valve and said throttlemeans, another lever pivoted, coaxially with said control lever, to saidfixed part with a certain friction to keep it in the angular position itis given with respect to said part, and

a stop carried by said second lever for limiting the displacements ofsaid control lever in the direction corresponding to the opening of saidthrottle means.

MARCEL MENNESSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the fileofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,319,627 sentiuella Oct. 21,1919 1,599,552 Chisholm Sept. 14, 1926 2,237,581 Schwinn Apr. 8, 1941FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 203,926 Great Britain "Sept. 20,1923

